


A Pleasure Doing Business

by CheshireCity



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Adulthood, Alternate Universe - Sex Shop, Bisexual Male Character, Communication, Discussion of Sex Toys, Embarrassing Situations, Embarrassment, Friends to Lovers, Humor, Kissing, M/M, Post-Canon, Reunions, Sex Shop, Teasing, actual information about sex products, crush to lovers, deep 1AM talks with your old crush outside a sandwich shop, mutual flirting, mutual respect, playful bickering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-19
Updated: 2017-02-19
Packaged: 2018-09-25 11:08:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9817361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheshireCity/pseuds/CheshireCity
Summary: Kaiba just wanted a discreet means of making a purchase. Jounouchi just needed a job to pay off his student debt. Colliding years later goes about as expected - the teasing nature of their childhoods reemerging, tampered by the maturity of being adults. Finally able to have a conversation they realize that they're more alike than they'd led themselves to believe.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [chocolatemoosey](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chocolatemoosey/gifts).



            It was just a temporary job. He’d been at it four weeks and after the end of the year it’d be over. It was just a holiday gig, after all, and chances were slim that he’d be rehired. The work was interesting at the least – if a little monotonous – but his coworkers always seemed to know how to have a good laugh and that made the shifts more manageable. He worked nights until closing, mainly, and that was when the most interesting customers tended to show up. It certainly beat the past three jobs he’d had since graduating from college in spring of that year. Needless to say, Katsuya Jounouchi had never anticipated that he’d wind up working at a sex store.

            He listed against the counter – a glass display featuring new products alongside odds and ends like fake eyelashes and flashy jewelry – and tried his best to entertain himself. It was a slow night – a Thursday – and there hadn’t been but a single customer in the past hour and a half. Not for the first time, Jounouchi wished that his station had a stool or somewhere he could sit. His feet hurt and he had nothing to occupy himself with, save for neatly stacking the condoms kept in a tin by the register. The organizing only did so much, but the job paid slightly above minimum wage and Jounouchi figured that it was better than nothing.

            With relief, he heard the tinkling of the front bell and launched into his usual spiel. “Good evening, welcome to Simple Pleasures. Let me know if you need… any… thing,” he broke off, a wide grin splitting his face.

            A man lingered in the doorway, almost rooted to the spot, blue eyes blown wide in mortification. He looked a little different than the last time Jounouchi had seen him, long white coat exchanged for a more practical double breasted reefer, his hair longer and messier, yet still professional. There was no doubt about it: he was no other than the head of Kaiba Corp., Seto Kaiba himself.

            “Anything I can help you with tonight, _sir_?” Jounouchi pressed, feeling every bit like he’d caught the canary.

            Kaiba pulled a face, spinning about on heel. “I’m leaving,” he announced brusquely.

            “Come back any time!” the blond called after him, snickering.

            He’d thought that would be the last of it, his old rival too embarrassed by their encounter to risk coming back a second time. Or a third. Or a fourth.

            “Do you work here every night?” the CEO scowled, thoroughly exasperated.

            “Pretty much, yeah,” Jounouchi shrugged.

            “Why?”

            “Because someone’s gotta pay the rent,” Jounouchi answered. “That and, you know, student loan debt is a bitch.”

            “Student loans?” Kaiba repeated, look bordering on curious.

            “Yeah,” the other cocked his head. “You know, for college?”

            “You went to college?” Kaiba returned with surprise.

            “ _Yes,_ ” Jounouchi frowned. “It just took a while, so what? Just because you got a degree back in high school…”

            “Two.”

            “What?”

            “I earned _two_ degrees.”

            “Alright!” Jounouchi rolled his eyes. “Well Mr. Two Degrees are you actually going to shop here or what? Obviously you’re looking for _something._ ”

            “Oh no,” Kaiba pursed his lips. “I just enjoy nothing more than walking in and out of buildings. That’s all that I needed.”

            “Making an entrance, huh?” the blond teased. “That’s your fetish?”

            “Entirely,” Kaiba responded flatly. “And with that I’ll be leaving.”

            “See you tomorrow,” Jounouchi called after him with a laugh.

            “Absolutely not.”

            And without fail Seto Kaiba returned to the store the very next evening.

            “Are you the manager?” he huffed when he was once more greeted at the front by his old classmate. “This is getting ridiculous.”

            “Nope,” Jounouchi sighed. “But I work here enough that I could be.”

            “You never leave, do you?”

            “Says the guy who’s married to his work,” Jounouchi pointed out.

            “I _do_ have a life outside of work,” Kaiba frowned.

            “Huh,” the other mused with interest. “Well that’s a development.”

            “Shove it, Jounouchi.”

            “Yeah, that’s more like it,” the blond nodded nostalgically. “So, is tonight the night?” he challenged. “Are you actually going to come into the store, or are you just planning on saying something snarky and then leaving again?”

            Kaiba opened his mouth and quickly shut it again, cutting Jounouchi with a glare. “Alright,” he answered warily. “Your move.”

            “This isn’t card games, Kaiba!” the blond laughed. “Not everything’s a competition.”

            _‘Ha ha,’_ he gloated inwardly. _‘He so lost.’_

            “I’m twenty five years old and CEO of a Fortune 100 company,” Kaiba leveled. “I think I know a competition when I see one.” With inflated confidence he strode into the middle of the store, stopping promptly once it was clear he had no idea where he was going. Jounouchi suppressed a laugh.

            “Can I help you find anything this evening?” he asked, stepping out from behind the counter and adopting his friendliest Customer Service Voice.

            “No,” Kaiba answered gruffly.

            “Okay,” Jounouchi relented, almost disappointed. As much as he liked the prospect of needling Kaiba he was still on the clock and had to act appropriately with the customers, regardless of who they might be. “Well you know where to find me,” he left off hopefully.

            Kaiba took a brisk turn of the store, not really looking at anything in particular and sending furtive glances back to where Jounouchi pretended to be invested in a magazine at the counter. After a scant five minutes he gave a curt ‘thank you’ and all but bolted out the front door. Jounouchi didn’t even have to feel worried that he’d see him again.

            A few days passed, and, inevitably, Kaiba made his seventh return.

            “Good evening Jounouchi,” he sighed before the blond could properly greet him. “You really don’t have to recite that line to me every time.”

            “Actually I do,” Jounouchi rolled his eyes. “Company policy. Now are you finally –?”

            “Yes,” Kaiba cut in quickly. He scanned the shop briefly, groaning in resignation as he realized no one else was there. “Yes,” he repeated at a regular volume. “I’m going to actually buy something this time,” he clarified, eyes narrowing. “And you’re going to help me find it.”

            Jounouchi’s brows shot straight up, surprise written all over his face. ‘ _Oh, this has_ got _to be good,’_ he thought gleefully. _‘This is like Christmas.’_

            “Certainly,” he said instead, presenting a pleasant smile. “Do you have something in mind already?” he continued, joining Kaiba on the other side of the counter. “I can give recommendations on just about anything.”

            “I…” Kaiba attempted, looking like he’d rather be dead. “Yes.”

            “Alright,” Jounouchi encouraged. “What can I help you find this evening?”

            _‘Please be something weird, please be something really fucking weird,’_ he inwardly begged.

            Kaiba cleared his throat, looking pointedly at anything that wasn’t his companion. Unfortunately for the CEO, however, the only alternatives were scantily clad mannequins, displays full of lube, or the aberrantly large and veiny dildos that sat on the shelf above the adjoining room. He pulled a chagrined face, closing his eyes instead before making his answer. “I’m in the market for a sex toy,” he said at length.

            Jounouchi fought the urge to slam his forehead into his palm. _‘Okay, no shit,’_ he thought. _‘Would it kill you to be more specific?’_

“No problem,” he forced a smile. “The toy room is straight through here,” he explained, leading the way around a few displays and into a rectangular room. It was well lit but poorly accented, pictures of porn stars from the 80s sitting in frames high above the racks of product. Coupled with the god awful music that came garbling through the speakers, the room managed to feel anything but sexy. Kaiba took it all in quickly, looking less than enthused.

            “Okay,” Jounouchi directed, regaining his attention. “Along the right wall we’ve got some of your basic bullet vibes and a few packaged sets. In the back corner is all of the light BDSM stuff – velcro restraints, fuzzy handcuffs, some ticklers; nothing too fancy. Then along the back wall we’ve got a variety of dildos and vibrators. There’s a lot of jelly ones in there too, but I would definitely _not_ recommend those: they’re not body safe. The left wall has all your anal toys and the center sections have some miscellaneous odds and ends: cock rings, pumps, clamps, shower stuff, you name it.”

            Kaiba stared at him blankly, torn between mortification and dumbfounded amazement. “Okay,” he answered vaguely. He stood in place for a moment as if hopeful Jounouchi would just disappear into thin air. Realizing that he had already made his proverbial bed, he sighed, leaving the blond’s side to stiffly walk around the perimeter of the room.

            _‘This is so awkward,’_ Jounouchi analyzed knowingly. _‘He is so not accustomed to this. He’s nothing like our regulars. He’d probably melt into the carpet if I asked about his personal preferences. How the hell am I supposed to help him if he won’t say anything, though?’_

            Checking his frustration, Jounouchi settled for watching the other man try to hide his interest in absolutely anything. Still, he seemed to linger a little too long in some areas more than others, and Jounouchi quickly picked up a pattern. He would just about kill to hear Kaiba’s private thoughts. Unable to say much himself he waited, steeping in satisfaction when at last the brunet was forced by curiosity to speak.

            “Which of these are the highest quality?” he asked reservedly. Jounouchi approached him, checking the wall behind the brunet to be certain. Kaiba stood along the back wall, off to one side where more of the flared base sex toys were kept.

            _‘Well at least he seems informed enough to know he’ll need one of those,’_ Jounouchi thought to himself with relief. _‘And that gives me a better idea of what he’s looking for.’_

            “That depends on what you’re looking for,” he answered, leveling Kaiba a look. The other man cleared his throat unnecessarily, yielding no further information.

            “Just show me your higher quality products,” he muttered lowly.

            “Right this way, _sir_ ,” the blond returned, leading the way from the back room and into the store proper. “And to think,” Jounouchi teased, “All those times I told you to go fuck yourself…”

            “Are you sexually harassing me?” Kaiba glared accusingly.

            Jounouchi recoiled at once, throwing his hands up in defense. “Nope, definitely not,” he clarified, hating how smug Kaiba looked in turn. “Especially not on store hours.”

            ‘ _Was he joking with me just now?’_ he wondered, trying to side eye his companion subtly. But Kaiba said nothing further as the blond drew short before a tall glass case, gesticulating vaguely to the wares inside.

            “So, uh,” Jounouchi began, nodding to the brightly lit shelves, “I figure these are more in your… well, I wouldn’t say price range. You don’t exactly _have_ a price range, do you?”

            “My credit card is black – what do you think?” Kaiba sniffed in turn. Jounouchi fought the urge to roll his eyes.

            “Yeah, well, these products aren’t hundreds of thousands of yen, but they are considered as being luxury models,” he sighed. “Most of these are made from glass – as you can see – or high quality silicone. They’re all phthalate-free and nonporous, so that means that they’re body safe and easy to clean. If you’re interested in any of the vibrators then I can load batteries into them and you can get a feel for their speed settings and intensities,” he concluded, relishing in the way Kaiba seemed to blanch further. “The products intended for male use – both in individual and partner play – are reserved to these two shelves,” Jounouchi couldn’t help but throw in, once more rewarded with a twinge of embarrassment from his old schoolmate.

            Kaiba hesitated, forcibly schooling his expression into one of neutrality, “What about this one?” he asked, pointing briefly to a sleek but simple prostate massager. It was unassuming, but Jounouchi knew from cursory research that it was a powerful little machine with a good sales history.

            “You’ve got good taste,” he acknowledged, fumbling with his key ring to unlock the case and access the toy.

            “Of course I do,” Kaiba answered with a measure of indignation.

            “I know, I know,” his companion chuckled, “Like I should expect any less, right?”

            Kaiba sent him a suspicious look.

            “Let me pop some batteries in this guy,” Jounouchi motioned, hastening back to his counter and fetching the double As. Kaiba trailed behind him stiffly, clearly uncertain how to proceed. Jounouchi’s lips pressed into a smirk as he slid the housing back over the toy, turning it in his hands to face his customer. With a little nudge he encouraged Kaiba to take it in his own, reclining against the countertop as the CEO began to fiddle with the massager.

            Despite his awkwardness, Kaiba adeptly maneuvered the controls, flipping through vibrational patterns and adjusting the speeds to his apparent liking with obvious practice. The revelation left Jounouchi reeling.

_‘I totally had the wrong idea about him,’_ he realized. _‘Here I thought he was largely ignorant of what he was looking for and it turns out he was just… shy? Is that really possible? I mean for normal people, sure, but for_ Kaiba _?’_ It just didn’t compute.

            What was more… Jounouchi’s gaze lingered over Kaiba’s fingers as they expertly slid over the controls, entirely unable to keep his thoughts from derailing. _‘So Kaiba’s done this sort of thing before,’_ he acknowledged. _‘Seems he’s pretty used to what he likes in a vibrator.’_ The notion was making it far too easy to imagine the CEO in a myriad of compromising positions, slender legs pulled aside, composure slipping with each small gasp of –

            “Jounouchi?” Kaiba inquired, brow furrowed. The blond recoiled with a yelp, feeling he had somehow been caught.

            “Mnhmn?” he forced a manic smile.

            “I was saying that this one would do; I don’t need to see any of the others.”

            “Really?” Jounouchi blinked, looking dubiously at the simple toy.

            “Yes?” Kaiba’s frown deepened. “Why?”

            “No reason; I’m just surprised is all,” Jounouchi admitted with a shrug. “I figured you’d want one encrusted with sapphires and diamonds or like… monogrammed or something.”

            “How frivolous do you think I am?” Kaiba returned sourly.

            Jounouchi just shot him a floored look. “Should I remind you about how you were as a teenager, or –?”

            “No,” Kaiba cut in, nearly embarrassed. “That won’t be necessary.”

            The truth of the matter was the CEO had calmed down in the last several years, made no secret by the newspapers and magazines that often featured him and his company. Of course, the occasional tabloid enjoyed cooking up some sort of saucy scandal but Jounouchi knew better than to take them as truth. When it came down to it, Kaiba was a reserved if cocksure young man who valued nothing more than his younger brother’s happiness and well-being, and that was something that Jounouchi had always secretly admired him for, especially being an older sibling himself.

            “Yeah,” Jounouchi laughed, filling with equal parts warmth and discomfiture as memories from their childhood surged forward, “I know what you mean.”

            Taking the display model from Kaiba, he returned the massager to its case, withdrawing a thin box from the stock behind it and returning to the register. “Will you be needing any condoms or lube to go along with this purchase?” he asked almost conversationally.

            “I’m not sure if this is further harassment or customer service,” Kaiba returned with a ghost of amusement.

            “I assure you, _sir_ ,” Jounouchi responded playfully, “That I only aim to deliver the highest in customer satisfaction; I don’t think I can be faulted for being a dedicated employee.”

            “What an astounding non-answer,” Kaiba smirked, leaning in towards the counter. “I see I still manage to bring out the most antagonistic parts of your character.”

            “Well, I guess it’s just fate, then,” the blond laughed.

            “Fate, hmn?” Kaiba hummed, cocking a brow. “I suppose a friend of Yugi’s would say something like that.”

            “You say it like you weren’t one of his friends, too,” Jounouchi pointed out. “I mean, yeah, you always were a bit of a dick, but –.”

            “What happened to the ‘dedicated employee’?” Kaiba cut across with a smirk. “Such a mouth you’ve got on you.”

            Jounouchi squinted at the CEO sourly, lips pinched in displeasure. “Alright, you got me,” he muttered. “You want to finish this conversation – _really_ finish it, I mean – then I get off work in a little less than an hour. We can talk then. Or not, whatever, it’s your call.”

            Kaiba nodded, seemingly pleased, fishing through his wallet and extracting several large bills. “Through in whatever extras you think are best,” he motioned to the nearby arrangements of condoms and lube, “The price is negligible.”

            Jounouchi shook his head, knowing better than to be surprised but finding himself feeling so anyway. Grabbing the better products he knew of, he stuffed them all into a bag and finished up the transaction. Kaiba lingered at the counter a moment more, hedging on what to say.

            “I missed this,” he admitted at length. “See you at,” he glanced to his watch briefly, looking back up with a rare smile, “At one in the morning.”

            “Yeah,” Jounouchi breathed, taken aback. “Uhm, later, then.”

_‘Yeah, right,’_ he told himself quickly as Kaiba made his retreat. _‘There’s no way he’d actually wait up for anyone, especially not for me. It’s past midnight anyway and the guy’s a workaholic – he’s got to sleep some time, right?’_

            Still, when Jounouchi stepped out into the brisk night, locking up behind himself, he took the briefest of indulgences to scan the darkened parking lot. To his surprise, Kaiba was still there, reemerging from his car and striding purposefully back towards him. Jounouchi waited patiently until he arrived, entirely too stunned to think through his next steps.

            “Well?” Kaiba asked expectantly, and, not knowing what else to do, Jounouchi led the way to his favorite table outside the neighboring sandwich shop. He perched awkwardly on the bench, nodding to the side to indicate his companion sit. Having little other option, Kaiba sat beside him, sending him sideways glances as the blond fiddled with his phone. The display read that it was past one thirty in the morning, closing having taken more time than he’d anticipated.

_‘And still he waited up?’_ he marveled. _‘How does Seto Kaiba not have anything else better to do with his time than to have really awkward conversations with a guy he used to beat at card games?’_ The sentence even sounded ridiculous in his head, even if said card games had been literally life or death.

            “You know,” he said after a time, “I never really thought I’d see you again. Not in person, at least.”

            “Oh?” Kaiba hummed, reclining his temple against a raised hand. “And why is that?”

            “You were already this person of colossal power and influence when we were kids,” Jounouchi shrugged. “I never really understood why you went to public school, providing that. You were always leagues above everyone and acted like it, too.”

            Kaiba gave an amused snort of acknowledgement. “I was cocky, yes,” he admitted.

            “To say the least,” Jounouchi laughed, growing more comfortable. “But, I don’t know. I just figured once you didn’t have to deal with us ‘plebs’ anymore that you’d just fuck off. Find your big new fancy life or whatever. After high school none of us ever saw you again, save for on TV and online and stuff like that.”

            “I’ve always been a fairly private person,” Kaiba mused. “Despite my past… flamboyant actions…” he phrased delicately, “I do like to keep my personal life to myself. Having friends was never a priority for me and – to be frank – not a luxury I felt I could safely indulge in.” He made a face, looking nearly pained, “I think you lot were the closest I came.”

            “So you do consider us to be friends?” Jounouchi teased. “Just wait until I tell Yugi!”

            “Don’t,” Kaiba bit back flatly.

            “He never gave up on that, you know?” the blond shook his head. “Being your friend? He enjoyed your usual bouts of antagonism as well, but he’s… well, Yugi’s just the kind of guy that sees the potential for good in everybody. It’s that kind of thinking that changed who I was for the better, especially back then. I was a real bastard; I think sometimes it just takes that one special sort of person to turn things around for you. Let’s be real, Kaiba – you were always pretty lonely; I think he just wanted to be there for you. I think we all kinda did.”

            “All of you?” Kaiba cocked a brow, gaze pinning the blond curiously.

            “Yeah, well, uh…” Jounouchi faltered, realizing his error. “You had a lot of pressure on you, right? Like, way more than other kids our age. And you were trying to provide for your brother and that… it just makes you have to grow up too fast, right? It’s tough, in a lot of ways. It isn’t fair, especially when you just want to be a dumb kid.”

            “You understand that as well,” Kaiba returned softly. “I was always so eager to undermine you at any turn that I never really stopped to acknowledge we might share that much in common.”

            Jounouchi smiled softly, an odd feeling blossoming in his chest. “Thanks,” he murmured. “That’s weirdly validating, even after all this time.”

            “We were all dicks to each other,” Kaiba huffed, the swear sounding unusual to his companion’s ears. “The least we can do now as adults is to be civil.”

            “I don’t know,” Jounouchi teased. “Growing up is pretty lame.”

            “I’d rather be a kid again,” Kaiba assented.

            They lapsed into contemplative silence a moment before the CEO spoke again.

            “You said you went to college?”

            “Yeah,” Jounouchi perked up. “I mean, I was never the best at school so it was kinda hard for me, to be real with you.”

            “What’s your degree in?”

            “Eh, communications,” Jounouchi admitted. “I wasn’t entirely sure what to pick and I didn’t want to pigeonhole myself into a job I hate. It’s just… a little harder than I anticipated to land that initial job. But it’s only been a couple of months since I graduated, so it’s not like I’m expecting the moon, either.”

            “You could land management positions with a concentration like that,” Kaiba appraised thoughtfully. “My corporation’s social media team is hiring; perhaps you could find a good fit there?”

            “I wouldn’t want to be hired just because we used to duel together,” Jounouchi countered hastily.

            “I’m not handing the job to you,” Kaiba barked a laugh, “That would be up to the hiring manager of the department.”

            “You really think I would be applicable?” the blond asked after a pause.

            “You’ve put in the effort,” Kaiba shrugged. “If you’re a good fit than we’d be happy to have you. At the very least let me offer you a few connections – networking at this level can be integral to success.”

            “I’d really appreciate that,” Jounouchi sighed in genuine relief. “It’s been stressful trying to pay off these initial debts working off minimum wage.”

            “I can’t imagine you have much left over for food or housing?” Kaiba remarked knowingly. “Now that Mokuba’s in college I have a higher respect for the egregious costs of schooling. I must admit that I paid for it all out of pocket without really looking at the grand total. Mokuba…” he hummed, expression softening. “He’s determined to make his own way, without the Kaiba fortune. I keep telling him it’s unnecessary but he won’t back down on it. It’s certainly humbled him in ways that I never expected – I suppose some of that could have done me some good at that age, as well.”

            “Huh,” Jounouchi tilted his head curiously. “Is that your way of saying you’re striving to be a more humble person?”

            “I…” Kaiba frowned. “Where prudent, perhaps,” he assented. “There’s only so much of one’s personality that can be changed. But I am curious – how have you been making it without a stable income? As it is Mokuba’s been working two jobs – surely you must be doing something in addition to…” he trailed off, eyeing the darkened building behind them, “ _This_.”

            “Yeah, you got me there,” Jounouchi shrugged. “But you’d never guess what I do on the side to earn a few bucks.”

            “Groveling?”

            Jounouchi sent him a sour look. “ _No_ ,” he scowled. “Come on, guess.”

            Kaiba looked him over with a critical squint. “Stripping?” he suggested dubiously.

            “I’ll take that as a compliment,” the blond returned cockily. “But no, nothing that exciting.”

            “I don’t know,” Kaiba shrugged, already tired of the little game. “We could be here all night.”

_‘Not like that’d be a bad thing,’_ Jounouchi considered.

            “I draw,” he answered with a laugh. “I wasn’t very good at first, but it’s amazing what practice and desperation can do for you.”

            “Desperation?” Kaiba picked up at once. “What exactly are you drawing?”

            “Uh…” Jounouchi paused, growing flustered. “Well, I mean, sometimes I draw normal things. Like… uhm, people?”

            “As opposed to what?” Kaiba arched a brow.

            “Animals?” the other returned vaguely. “As in anthropomorphic animals? Like in clothes? Or, well, usually out of them given my clientele.”

            “What?”

            “I draw furry art,” Jounouchi spat out in a rush. “Which can be extremely lucrative, by the way.”

            “I knew you had a fetish,” Kaiba snorted.

            “That is _not_ my fetish,” Jounouchi corrected quickly. “And the whole thing started as an accident anyway.”

            “How do you ‘accidentally’ draw… I don’t know,” Kaiba made a face, “Dragon dicks?”

            “You _would_ suggest dragon dicks.”

            “I’m going to stop you right there.”

            “Because,” Jounouchi explained with an amused grin, “I started taking commissions for some folks who had their own characters. Just innocent stuff, like… I dunno, anthro cats in baggy sweaters or whatever. And it was pretty cute, actually. And then I got more and more requests and when I saw the price tags attached, well,” he shrugged, “I mean the money pretty much spoke for itself.”

            “And that’s how you got into drawing niche porn?”

            “And that’s how I got into drawing niche porn,” the blond nodded. “I mean, you ever want a Blue Eyes White –.”

            “Stop.”

            Jounouchi followed suit, smirking all the while. “Well, you know how to reach me.”

            “Unfortunately.”

            “Oh, come on,” Jounouchi laughed, daring to sidle a little closer to the brunet’s side. “If you hated my company that much you wouldn’t have bothered to keep coming back.”

            “Bear in mind I was hoping to avoid you most of those times,” Kaiba pointed out with a frown.

            “Be that as it may,” the other countered, “It does _not_ take that many attempts to buy a vibrator.”

            Kaiba flushed at once, looking pointedly away. “Do you really have to talk about it?”

            “Do you really not realize you could just order off the Internet?” Jounouchi shot back. “Like, _discreetly_?”

            “I’m not an imbecile.”

            “Then!?” the blond threw up his hands.

            “Because,” Kaiba sighed, looking to his companion as if it pained him. “You can’t pay with cash over the Internet. I didn’t want to leave a trail to my purchases in case anyone else got a hold of them. I’d rather not have any sort of leak of private records that I spend _any_ of my money buying expensive sex toys.”

            Jounouchi eyed him knowingly. “It’s because you made Mokuba your accountant, isn’t it?”

            Kaiba groaned instantly, putting his head in his hands. “It was a _mistake_.”

            “So what, is that one of his two jobs?” Jounouchi teased further. “Did the big brotherly thing and tried to help him out?”

            “He’s already Vice President of the company,” Kaiba sighed heavily. “I thought a little money management could do him some good. It goes without saying that I trust him above all others, but…”

            “You weren’t ready to surrender your sense of personal privacy?” Jounouchi filled in.

            “Precisely,” Kaiba nodded forlornly. “It wasn’t so bad at first, but he’s a lot more thorough than I thought he’d be: he really takes the job seriously. He’s already teased me about the odd purchase here or there. Things I’d never really think about, to be honest. It just made me a lot more conscientious of what I’m buying.”

            “Hence your determination to shop in secret,” Jounouchi concluded. “Makes sense now. Well, you still know where to find me.”

            “If I must,” Kaiba made a small face.

            “Come on, this is fun, isn’t it?”

            “It is,” Kaiba murmured back.

            Jounouchi huffed a small laugh, happiness flooding him. The whole situation was weird: he really had never anticipated crossing paths with Kaiba ever again. The last time they had properly spoken they had only just adopted a reserved sense of respect for one another, something he had figured would fizzle out with time. Yet coming into their own had seemed to change them both for the better, and with space and maturity it was surprising to find that Kaiba’s company was a lot more enjoyable than he had remembered.

_‘Probably because he’s toned down some,’_ he bargained. _‘But then again, so have I. The things we used to argue about don’t seem so important anymore. I guess this is what it’s like to be grown up.’_

            Kaiba quieted, staring up at the stars in contemplation. “Would you care to join me?” he asked ambiguously. Jounouchi gave a start.

            “What’s that?” he blinked.

            “We can finish this conversation back at my place, if you desire,” Kaiba clarified, turning measuredly towards his companion and scanning his gaze carefully. “We can open a bottle of wine; I always have more than enough thanks to Pegasus,” he added with some distaste. “That and gorgonzola cheese: why he thinks I want to have mountains of _his_ favorites I’ll never know. Perhaps because he enjoys making a habit of inviting himself over unannounced.”

            Jounouchi ushered a soft laugh, shrugging. “Sounds like him from what I remember,” he concurred. “But uh,” he continued, trying to keep the conversation casual. “Yeah, that sounds nice. Although I’d rather not have any wine: I really don’t drink and I’ll still need to drive home later, besides.”

            Kaiba nodded in acceptance. “Coffee, then? Decaf, of course.”

            “Yeah,” Jounouchi smiled, beginning to feel fluttery. “That’d be great.”

            As they walked back to their respective cars the feeling only intensified until Jounouchi couldn’t ignore it any longer. _‘What’s going on?’_ he wondered giddily. _‘This is almost like a date? Like maybe the weirdest, most unconventional date ever. Is he hitting on me? I mean he invited me over to his house at night and we’re alone I presume but… man, I’ve got to be reading too much into things,’_ he chided himself, changing lanes. _‘But,’_ he reconsidered. _‘What if I’m_ not _?’_

            There was no use trying to deny that he was excited about the prospect. Jounouchi had spent the majority of his youth bottling up every last feeling and desire with an aggressive passion and frankly his home life had been so appalling that he hadn’t had much time or safety to consider himself as a person. College had changed all that.

            Once graduated from high school, Jounouchi had spent all of his time and energy on getting out of his house, working every job he could find to support himself and find a place of his own. His mother and Shizuka had offered to help but he had been stubborn as always and determined to find his own way. It had helped him in the end, giving him a sense of autonomy and freedom he’d never before experienced. His life from there on out hadn’t been any more glamorous, but he’d put himself through college and managed to survive on his own and he was more proud of that than just about anything.

            College had been its own experience and had changed Jounouchi as a person more than he’d care to admit. He’d learned how to back down, far more so than he’d managed as a teen. Things just didn’t seem like such a big deal anymore and the little details weren’t worth getting upset over. Yugi had been the most supportive of this change, making sure to comment on how relaxed his friend seemed. For Jounouchi, it just meant he was even less like his father.

            But he’d also learned things about himself, things he wasn’t ready or able to deal with back in high school, back under the tyrannical rule of his father. Like the fact he was attracted to men.

            It had hit him suddenly one afternoon when he was laying on his dorm bed procrastinating his homework and wishing to hell the neighbor wouldn’t blast their music so damn loud.

_‘Am I gay?’_ he thought with sudden clarity. He thought back to his rampant crush on Mai and to the handful of girls he had dated over the years. He’d slept with a few of them, and the attraction had felt honest enough. He frowned, contemplating carefully. _‘Nope,’_ he decided at length. _‘Definitely not the full gay.’_

            Still, the crystalizing realization that his years of antagonism towards one Seto Kaiba had been the world’s most blatant crush came as a shock to him. Deciding there was nothing for it – and that it would never become a pertinent issue ever again – Jounouchi promptly chose to save his existential crisis for later. By the time the thoughts had rolled around again, Jounouchi was in his last semester of college and could not be bothered to undergo whatever cliché self-loathing popular media dictated was quintessential to being a part of queer youth. Rather, he looked himself in the mirror one morning, verbally acknowledged his bisexuality, and went about his day unbothered.

_‘What about Kaiba, though?’_ he thought concernedly, pulling into the gated community. _‘I don’t want to make things uncomfortable and I don’t want to misread his signals… whatever they may be.’_

            There was no denying to himself that he’d greatly enjoy kissing Kaiba. It was a simple fantasy he had entertained for years, even if he hadn’t initially let himself acknowledge it. _‘Come on, self,’_ he encouraged. _‘Don’t fuck this up.’_

            Parking in the front drive, he waited for Kaiba to exit his own vehicle and head to the front door. It was a different home than the mansion he’d remembered from their youth: a more modest, Western style two story with a polished exterior.

            “When’d you get the new digs?” he asked conversationally as Kaiba slotted the key and admitted them entrance.

            “A few years ago,” Kaiba hummed, closing the door behind him and shucking off his coat, gesturing for his guest to follow suit. “By the time Mokuba was ready for college we both realized we needed our own space. We may be close but we do have personal lives.”

            “Don’t tell me he’s dating?” Jounouchi interpreted quickly.

            “He _is_ nineteen now, you know,” Kaiba smiled ruefully. “As much as I don’t like to admit it. We both decided it would be in our best interest to have some space to ourselves. And, frankly,” he added, nose wrinkling with memory, “I’d rather not catch him again.”

            “Catch him?” Jounouchi echoed with a laugh. “Oh no, what do you mean?”

            “He’s had _partners_ ,” Kaiba answered distastefully. “And that alone is more than I ever need to know about my little brother.”

            “Yeah…” Jounouchi nodded slowly. “I could see where that’d get uncomfortable – for the both of you.”

            “This way, if you would?” Kaiba spoke up, leading the other through the house to where the kitchen blended seamlessly into a comfortable living room. The CEO nodded towards the couches, already making for the coffee machine and setting about it with practiced ease.

            “You know, you’ve not said much about yourself,” Jounouchi realized, choosing a seat where he could still see his host. “I mean, kind of surprising for you, but –.”

            “You would point it out,” Kaiba returned with forced chagrin.

            “It’s just different.”

            “I have made strides to be a little less… self-consumed,” the brunet settled on awkwardly. “I find it makes relationships easier.”

            Jounouchi smiled to himself, reserving the right to comment. He had to admit, he felt closer to the other man already, reveling in a kind of openness between them that he’d never expected to experience. “What have you been up to these past few years, Kaiba?” he posed instead. “Outside of what the tabloids report?”

            “The media are a pack of ravenous dogs,” the CEO scowled. “I’ve stopped bothering to keep up with what inane stories they’ve created about me.”

            “Yeah, I figured that one about the lavish pool party with all the underwear models was false,” Jounouchi teased. “That was never really your style.”

            “Or my persuasion,” Kaiba muttered, just loud enough to be audible.

_‘Wait,’_ Jounouchi considered in astonishment. _‘Did he just suggest…?’_

            “As I mentioned earlier, I already achieved two degrees during our high school years – one in business, the other in economics. Pretty standard fare for someone focusing on running a corporation,” Kaiba continued, serving up the coffee. “Milk or sugar?” he asked briefly.

            “Just milk, please,” Jounouchi prompted.

            “I took a little time off,” Kaiba resumed, finishing off the mugs and returning to the other’s side, arranging himself carefully on the couch. “Then I attained a Master’s degree in engineering. I figured with all of the hands my corporation has in technological and digital markets it only made sense. Obviously these were not things I had to do – the company was already in my hands – but it filled the time. It felt… almost normal, I suppose. Made _me_ feel a little more normal. And besides, I wanted to set a good example for my brother.”

            “Seems that paid off,” Jounouchi said, enjoying the warmth of the mug cradled in his hands. “Even the media paints him as a real upstanding young guy.”

            “Well I suppose they are right _there_ ,” Kaiba sighed tiredly. “Although I may have a hand in that result.”

            “How do you mean?”

            “Mokuba is kind and patient beyond his years,” Kaiba worded carefully. “He’s smart and a good person, more humble than I could ever hope to be. But that said, he is still a kid and is prone to making the same bad decisions and choices as others of his age – at the caveat of having his every move exploited for entertainment value. I’ve had to suppress a few would be scandals and, well,” he continued with a sigh, “I’m incredibly soft on him so any ill-worded reports are bound to be squashed if I get wind of them.”

            “You’re a good brother.”

            “You would do the same,” Kaiba shrugged with a tired hum.

            “I would,” Jounouchi agreed readily. He swirled the coffee in his mug, tipping it up to drain the last of it and setting it to the table beside him. “So what about you?” he pondered, “I mean we’re both still young, and you know how college is,” he added with a crooked grin. “Any ‘would be scandals’ from your end?”

            “Of course not,” Kaiba frowned, leaning across the other to rest his mug beside the first. Jounouchi suppressed a gasp at the sudden proximity, certain he was imagining the small look of triumph on Kaiba’s face.

            “That so?” he stammered out pointedly. Kaiba definitely seemed closer than he had been before.

            “Mn,” the brunet nodded. “I know well enough by now how to avoid the press – or give them something better to distract them with. And I’ve been to enough company events to learn how to handle my liquor, so it’s not like I went around making an ass out of myself,” he added amusedly. “No, the majority of care I had to exert would have been in dating.”

            “Dating?” Jounouchi perked up, trying not to be too obvious about the fact.

            “Yes,” Kaiba nodded, gaze drawing up to match the blond’s own. He seemed to regard him shrewdly for a minute before returning to his prior relaxed demeanor. “I think my notoriety was limited solely to the community I frequented. Although,” he added wryly, “It’s a small one and prone to drama.”

            Jounouchi felt his pulse quicken – certainly he wasn’t just imagining things. Kaiba was testing the waters, seeing if he would pick up on the small insinuations and body language. Jounouchi had seen it before and had practiced as much himself. It was a common self-protective measure when trying to identify others within the community.

            “I dated someone like that,” he hedged. “Someone who was notorious on campus? They broke a lot of hearts, mine included.”

            “They?” Kaiba picked up quickly.

            “Yeah,” Jounouchi nodded, deciding to take the plunge. “She usually dated girls so people gave her hell for dating me.”

            “I see,” Kaiba returned slowly.

_‘Is he… disappointed?’_ Jounouchi analyzed with surprise. _‘Shit, I’ve really got to go all the way with this if I want him to keep talking so openly.’_

            Steeling his nerves, he pushed on, forcing a smile, “Of course, those same people felt similarly about me because I never found a guy I wanted to date.”

            Kaiba shifted imperceptibly, gravitating toward him. “The queer community often seems to exclude bisexual members,” he arranged carefully.

            “Yeah,” Jounouchi nodded, relaxing at once. “It really sucks.”

            Kaiba, too, appeared relieved, and suddenly all of the tension flooded from his body. “It’s hard to find the right guy,” he said, “Almost impossible.”

            “I have to imagine your standards are fairly high,” Jounouchi pointed out, and the fluttery warm feeling returned to his chest. Here he was sitting in the private residence of one Seto Kaiba, talking into the early hours and curled up beside one another on a rather luxurious couch. It was the stuff he secretly dreamed about as a kid, and what was more, he wasn’t reading too much into the situation for a change. If Kaiba’s standards were so high – and how could they not be? – then he had every right to feel damn pleased with himself.

            Kaiba laughed openly, smile lingering on his lips, and the fluttery feeling intensified.

_‘How many people have gotten to see this side of him?’_ Jounouchi wondered. _‘He looks so good like this. Not just handsome but… happy, genuinely relaxed and happy. So much more human and approachable than I’ve ever known him to be. I kind of want this moment to last forever, if only just so he won’t have to go back to being so shut off and alone. I’m so lucky to see this part of him.’_

            Kaiba was talking again, and Jounouchi had to shake himself back to attentiveness.

            “ –not as high as you would think, I suppose,” he was saying. “When it comes to relationships I suppose I’m the same as anyone else. I expect loyalty, integrity, and honesty. Someone who can communicate with me openly and who can be my equal.”

            “Your equal?” Jounouchi echoed uncertainly. “How do you mean?”

            “There are a lot of fields in life where competitiveness is called for,” Kaiba returned thoughtfully. “But relationships are not among those. For a partnership to work – a healthy one, at least – there has to be a sense of equality. And I think that is the hardest quality to find in my own,” he concluded with a sigh. “It is kind of hard to not have heard of me,” he explained, void of his usual arrogance. “And with that come a lot of preconceived notions and expectations. I want someone who can match me, who isn’t afraid to counter me. But… also someone I can trust. I suppose in the end those can be high expectations.”

            “They shouldn’t be,” Jounouchi disagreed. “It’s only natural to want to be treated a certain way – status doesn’t change your needs or the things you deserve, especially not in a relationship.”

            “And what about you, Jou?” Kaiba responded softly. “What are the qualities you look for in a relationship?”

            For a solid five seconds, Jounouchi forgot how to function, completely caught off guard by the unexpected pet name. “I, uh,” he began eloquently once he recalled how to breathe. He could hear his heartbeat roaring in his ears and for certain his cheeks were a vibrant pink. Kaiba watched demurely, a satisfied smile curling onto his lips.

            “Well?” he prodded.

            “The same things as you, really,” Jounouchi stumbled out. “Those things are super important to me. I’ve seen relationships fall apart – marriages fall apart, including that of my own folks – and I know how important communication and honesty and equality are and, and… holy shit you’re really hitting on me, aren’t you? Like, you’re –,” he continued in a rush, “ _Why_? I mean I thought I was just imagining all of this but wow and you’re not denying it now either or getting mad or… or… just… _what_?” he rounded off abruptly.

            “I see you’re finally getting the picture,” Kaiba teased.

            “Yeah but,” Jounouchi returned in bafflement, “But why? Why me? I mean,” he added hastily, “Not that I am by any means _complaining_ I’m just really confused why after all this time you’re interested in someone like me.”

            “Do you not meet my qualifications?” Kaiba posed. “You’re clearly a good person – that much has been disgustingly obvious since we were kids,” he added with a smirk. “If your friendship with Yugi is anything to go off of, that is. And you certainly aren’t afraid to sass me, regardless of who I am. I just…” he paused, adopting the most genuine look Jounouchi had ever witnessed. “I’m older now and I can appreciate these things. You treat me as a person and that’s something I value. You’re… you’re fun to be around. You’re someone I’d like to get to know better.”

            “Are you asking me out?” Jounouchi asked quietly, mouth effectively dry. “Because if you are I am totally single and also I’ve had a crush on you since we first met.”

            “And here I was afraid I wasn’t being obvious enough,” Kaiba laughed, the smirk he wore suddenly apparently playful to Jounouchi’s careful observation.

            “Are you calling me dumb?” he challenged.

            “I’m just saying that it took several attempts on my part for you to get the drift.”

            “You mean coming into my shop?” Jounouchi laughed. “You left almost every time!”

            “I was…” Kaiba sighed, shifting about. “You’ll not believe me.”

            “Try me.”

            “I was… perhaps,” Kaiba groaned impatiently, “I was a bit nervous, alright?”

            “Nervous!?” Jounouchi barked in surprise. “You? You’re kidding.”

            “I told you.”

            “No, I believe you,” Jounouchi countered, grinning. Kaiba was inches from him now, smiling despite his chagrin.

            “Do you?” the CEO hummed, lashes lowering.

            “Mnhmn,” Jounouchi hummed out, and he could feel the soft puff of Kaiba’s laugh against his skin. “So what?” he teased, brushing nearer. “That toy was just an excuse to talk with me again?”

            “I wouldn’t say it was _solely_ an excuse,” Kaiba returned truthfully. “Although don’t think I didn’t notice you daydreaming.”

            Jounouchi flushed, thoroughly caught. “Are you mad?” he asked softly, and at once Kaiba smirked, once more looking entirely too pleased with himself.

            “No,” he replied smugly. “It’s exactly how I’d want you to think.”

            In tandem their lips met, Kaiba’s body melting against Jounouchi’s own as the space between them was finally breached. Eager hands reached out, cradling at a cheek, the back of the head, fingers weaving between locks of hair and tracing nonsensical patterns over bare bits of skin. They broke apart laughing, foreheads nestled together as they regarded each other with their own private thoughts.

            “So does this mean…?” Jounouchi suggested hopefully.

            “Do you want it to mean…?” Kaiba returned as vaguely.

            “Yeah.”

            “Then yes, I would say that we’re dating,” Kaiba smiled. “After all,” he added with a coy smile, “You know about at least _one_ of my sex toys. I’ve got to keep that secret safe somehow.”

            “One of?” Jounouchi perked up, edging forward to steal another kiss from the corner of Kaiba’s lips. The man chuckled, batting him away while maintaining the most come hither look.

            “I suppose you’ll just have to wait to find out about the rest,” he toyed.

            “Oh yeah?”

            “Yes,” Kaiba agreed gravely. “Although I am familiar with all of _them_ ,” he continued meaningfully. “Unlike my newest purchase.”

            “Sounds like you could use some hands on training,” Jounouchi husked, enjoying the weight of Kaiba’s arms linking behind his neck.

            “Think you’re qualified?” the brunet hummed.

            “Well I _did_ sell you the product,” Jounouchi acknowledged seriously. “So I should definitely take responsibility in showing you how to properly use it.”

            “Well in that case,” Kaiba smirked, rising from the couch and beckoning his boyfriend follow, “It’ll be a pleasure doing business with you.”

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written for Yu-Gi-Oh! in quite a while so hopefully the characterizations are still accurate. Of course, Kaiba and Jounouchi are adults in this fic so they've matured a bit since their canonical appearances.
> 
> Thank you for reading!  
> Ches


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